Howard Pyle (1853, Wilmington Del. - 1911, Florence) was one of America’s most popular illustrators and storytellers at the end of the 19th century during a period of explosive growth in the publishing industry. His illustrations appeared in magazines like Harper’s Monthly, St. Nicholas, and Scribner’s Magazine, gaining him both national and international exposure. The broad appeal of his imagery made him a celebrity in his lifetime.
Pyle studied at the Art Student’s League, New York City, and first attracted attention by his line drawings after the style of Albrecht Dürer. His magazine and book illustrations are among the finest of the turn-of-the-century period in the Art Nouveau style. Pyle wrote original children’s stories as well as retelling old fairy tales. Many of Pyle’s children’s stories, illustrated by the author with vividness and historical accuracy, have become classics—most notably The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (1883); Otto of the Silver Hand (1888); Jack Ballister’s Fortunes (1895); and his own folktales, Pepper & Salt (1886), The Wonder Clock (1888), and The Garden Behind the Moon (1895).
In 1894, he began teaching illustration at the Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry. Among his students there wer valet Oakley, Maxfield Parrish, and Jessie Wikcox Smith. After 1900, he founded his own school of art and illustration named the Howard Pyle School of Illustration Art. Scholar Henry C. Pitz later used the term Brandywine School for the illustration artists and Wyeth family artists of the Brandywine region, several of whom had studied with Pyle. He had a lasting influence on a number of artists who became notable in their own right; N.C. Wyeth, Frank Schoonover, Thornton Oakley, Allen Tupper True, Stanley Arthur, and numerous others studied under him.
Later Pyle undertook mural paintings, executing, among others, The Battle of Nashville (1906) for the capitol at St. Paul, Minn. Dissatisfied with his style in painting, he went to Italy for further study but died shortly afterward. Pyle had established a free schoolof art in his home in Wilmington, where many successful American illustrators received their education.
Pyle travelled to Florence, Italy in 1910 to study mural painting. He died there in 1911 of a sudden kidney infection (Bright’s Disease).
For earlier works by Howard Pyle see parts 1-11 also.
This is part 12 of a 13-part series on the works of Howard Pyle:
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| 1908 A Birthday Card for Theodore Roosevelt pen and ink |
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| 1909 A Wolf Had Not Been Seen at Salem for Thirty Years |
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| 1909 A Wolf Had Not Been Seen at Salem for Thirty Years detail |
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| 1909 Marooned oil on canvas 101.6 x 152.4 cm Delaware Art Museum |
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| 1909 Once it chased Dr. Wilkerson into the very town itself |
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| 1909 The Midnight Court Martial Harper's Monthly, September 1909 |
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| 1909 Untitled |
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| 1909 When all the world was young Harper's Monthly, August 1909 |
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| 1909 Who are we that Heaven should make of the old sea a fowling net? Harper's Monthly, October 1909 |
1907 The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Compaions
by Howard Pyle:
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "The Lady Elaine the Fair." |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "Contents" |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "Sir Mellegrans interrupts the sport of the Queen." |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "Denneys and the Hermit help Sir Launcelot to his armor." |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "How Sir Launcelot rode errant in a cart." |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "The Damsel Elouise the Fair rescues Sir Launcelot" |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "Sir Gareth of Orkney" |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "The Damsel Lynette" |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "Sir Gareth doeth Battle with the Knight of the River Ford." |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "The Lady Layonnesse." |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "The Lady Layonnesse cometh to the Pavilion of Sir Gareth" |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "How Sir Launcelot held discourse with ye merry Minstrels." |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "Sir Launcelot slayeth the Worm of Corbin" |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "Sir Launcelot confideth his Shield to Elaine the Fair" |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "Sir Launcelot and Sir Lavaine overlook the Field of Astolat" |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "Sir Gawaine knoweth the shield of Sir Launcelot" |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "Sir Launcelot leapeth from the window:" |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "The Madman of the Forest who was Sir Launcelot" |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "The Forest Madman saveth ye Life of King Arthur" |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "The Lady Elaine the Fair knoweth Sir Launcelot" |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "Sir Gawaine, Knight of the Fountain" |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "Sir Ewaine poureth water on the slab" |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "The Damsel Elose giveth a ring to Sir Ewaine" |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "A Dansel bringeth aid unto Sir Ewaine" |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "Sir Lamorack and Sir Percival receive their Mother's Blessing" |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "Sir Percival and Sir Ector look upon the Isle of Joy" |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "Sir Lavaine the Son of Pelles" |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "Merlin Prophesieth from a Cloud of Mist" |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "Sir Bors de Ganis, the good" |
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| The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions "The Barge of the Dead" |
1908 The Ruby of Kishmoor by Howard Pyle:
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| The Ruby of Kishmoor Frontispiece "Captain Keitt" |
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| The Ruby of Kishmoor Title page |
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| The Ruby of Kishmoor "The Negress beckoned him to draw nearer" |
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| The Ruby of Kishmoor "The little gentleman with one eye" |
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| The Ruby of Kishmoor "With great amity the two walked off together" |
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| The Ruby of Kishmoor "The little gentleman in black emitted a piercing scream" |
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| The Ruby of Kishmoor "Jonathan threw himself upon the stranger with the fury of a madman" |
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| The Ruby of Kishmoor "The man with the broken nose" |
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| The Ruby of Kishmoor "The arms of his captor held him as in a vise" |
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| The Ruby of Kishmoor "I am the daughter of that unfortunate Captain Keitt" |
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| The Ruby of Kishmoor "Jonathan Rugg was married to Martha Dobbs the following June" |
1909 Costume design for "Springtime":
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| 1909 Costume design for “Gilbert Steele” |
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| 1909 Costume design for “Julie” |
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| 1909 Costume design for “M. de Valette” |
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| 1909 Costume design for “Madeleine” |
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| 1909 Costume design for “Raoul de Valette” |